Ceramic Hearts

It shines resplendent in the soft glow of the Christmas lights. Delicate filigrees traced in gold brushstrokes sweep across the creamy ceramic surface.
“You stole my heart a long time ago,” he whispers in my ear. “I want you to have this forever, to remind you.”
I turn the heart-shaped globe over in my shaking hands. Twenty [...]

Knuckleballer: Art

I created this image to go with my story “Knuckleballer.” If this goes through to publication, I’ll do a better-quality version.

Riley Miller: Fictional Major League Baseball Knuckleballer

Links to the story:

Knuckleballer, Part 1
Knuckleballer, Part 2
Knuckleballer, Part 3
Knuckleballer, Part 4
Knuckleballer, Part 5 (end)

*Do not copy this without the permission of MJ Twain.*

Clear the Mind, Part 2: Conclusion

Can bugs get cysts? What about cancer? I suddenly wonder. I consider checking cicada bodies for unusual growths. There’s a flashlight in the car, and I have time. It’s Friday, and I don’t have commitments tomorrow.
Curiosity gets me. The Mag-Lite is snug between the driver’s seat and door. Feeling slightly ridiculous, I ignore the “Park [...]

Clear the Mind, Part 1

The cicadas are deafening. I don’t mind. They drive fear away. Surrounded by a thick stand of trees that leads into the forest preserve, I embrace the cacophony.
Shady oaks shield me from murderous sunshine. Pale skin is safe here. Liberal doses of insect repellent will protect me from West Nile Virus, Rocky Mountain Spotted [...]

Pencil Shavings

At the age of eleven, Samantha built the first tree house in her neighborhood. For weeks before the Big Project, piles of drawings she optimistically called “blueprints” accumulated on the family’s coffee table. Pencil shavings dropped into slightly less attractive clumps on the carpet. At the end of that marathon summer, though, her tree [...]

Hero’s Heart, Part 3

Kevin caught up to Mindy at home. For all his super speed, her magic was faster. He found her in her basement retreat. She worked over a table of esoteric items, gathering this and that to mix with the other.
“Sorry I couldn’t wait,” she said when he arrived. “I don’t have much time before this [...]

Knuckleballer, Part 5: Conclusion

The first inning didn’t go well.
Riley walked the first better, gave up a base hit, and allowed a steal. The crowd that had gone wild in welcoming her back grew restless. Knights fans were both the best and worst in all of baseball. They could idolize you one day and demonize you the next. Riley [...]

Knuckleballer, Part 4

Riley’s first game back with the Knights was the third Sunday that August. The Knights were chasing Denver for the Wild Card slot. If they were very lucky, they had a chance to capture the division lead.
She had a case of the nerves like she hadn’t felt in years. Her change up, slider, and fastball [...]

Knuckleballer, Part 3

“Look, we haven’t even reached the All-Star Break. Take your time. I don’t want you back until you’re healthy,” Ben Kemp, the Knights manager, told her.
Riley wanted to punch something. Her wrist felt fine. She was lucky she got hurt early in the season, and she was well aware of it. Getting back in the [...]

Knuckleballer, Part 2

“It’s broken.”
Doctor Gould cringed as he delivered the news, although Riley wasn’t surprised.
“How long will it take to heal?” she asked.
Gould looked to Sam and the Knights’ general manager, John Hicks. The GM had taken a lot of risks during his tenure, but none more so than backing Riley’s ascent to the Big Show. He [...]